Above. Beyond. Because.

At St. Vincent’s HealthCare we consider it our “Mission” to go above and beyond for patients, paying special attention to those who often cannot care for themselves.

Our associates sincerely consider your care their calling. This is not just a job for our doctors, nurses and other medical staff… it’s bigger than that.

It starts with hiring people who believe in our Mission and are inspired to live it because they cannot imagine doing it any other way or working anywhere else. Our associates naturally go above and beyond because it’s part of who they are.

Doing your job is expected no matter where you work, but at St. Vincent’s HealthCare, associates are encouraged to go the extra mile because it’s the heart of our organization.

We are proud to share some of our extraordinary and moving “Above. Beyond. Because.” stories with you here. Click below to watch our videos.

If you have your own story to share of extraordinary care you or a family member received at any of our facilities please let us know. You can email us at webmaster@jaxhealth.com.

St. Family

Amy Beardsley

Some things just run in the family. For Amy Beardsley, it’s St. Vincent’s Medical Center. Four generations of her family were born there. When Amy was pregnant with her first child, she learned her grandmother had advanced lung cancer. When she went into labor at St. Vincent’s, her Grandma Lois was there too—as a patient. One of Lois’ greatest wishes was to meet her great granddaughter. Knowing this, nurses and doctors stopped what they were doing and rushed Lois to the maternity unit. Amy says she will never forget the moment her grandmother came in and saw her newborn daughter. They had the same bright blue eyes. Grandma Lois passed away that night. The look of joy on her face when she saw her great granddaughter, however, will live in Amy’s mind forever. This is more than a job for our doctors and nurses. At St. Vincent’s we go out of our way to treat all of our patients like family.

St. Marvelous

Suzanne Dedmon

When your mother has open heart surgery, you can feel pretty helpless. Just ask Tim Mertz. His mom was being treated at St. Vincent’s Open Heart Recovery Unit— a special unit created solely for open heart patients. It’s the only one of its kind in Jacksonville. Nurse Suzanne Dedmon went the extra mile for Tim’s mom. Actually, he said she went an extra 150 miles. He wrote us insisting we put her on all the billboards around town as St. Marvelous. Tim says Mom is back home in Georgia and doing great thanks to the “marvelous” care she received. Meanwhile,Suzanne’s trying to get used to her new title!

St. Comforting

Elizabeth Frketic

Everything the doctor said was a blur after one patient with a heart condition found out she might also have breast cancer. That was until she met Breast Health Advocate Elizabeth J. Frketic who went above and beyond to turn fear into hope. This patient wrote to tell us “the most comforting and caring person was holding my arm” and “a cloud was lifted from my mind.” At St. Vincent’s, Elizabeth is more than a Breast Health Advocate. She’s a hand holder, a shoulder to lean on, a tear wiper and, most of all, a friend. This patient referred to her as an angel. We couldn’t agree more.

St. Loyalty

Patsy Kohten

As a volunteer for St. Vincent’s for over 50 years, Patsy has become known as a guardian angel for cancer patients. She is a source of comfort, lending a hand—but more often an ear—to those in need. As a result of her service to others, she is rewarded constantly with hugs, cards and handwritten notes. Patsy knows how patients feel because she was diagnosed with cancer herself a few years back. During this difficult time, the staff at St. Vincent’s went above and beyond to accommodate her every need. Now she feels like it’s her turn. Patsy Kohten—rich in spirit, love and compassion. She may not be an actual saint, but to the patients and all of us at St. Vincent’s…she comes pretty close.

St. Kindness

Cassandra Ross

It’s easy to get lost in a big hospital. Throw in some Florida heat and an eight-week-old baby and you’ve got one exhausting situation for a new mom looking for medical records at St. Vincent’s Southside. She stopped for water at a vending machine with only a ten-dollar bill in hand. Registration Associate Cassandra Ross didn’t have change but did offer up $1 of her own. Her kindness meant so much that the woman wrote us a letter reading, “Her act of generosity confirms the messages in your commercials—that your employees are there to help patients, not just to collect a paycheck.” Our associates will always go above and beyond for patients and visitors—you can bet your bottom dollar on it.

St. Teamwork

Tony Boselli

After seven seasons of professional football, Tony Boselli thought he had beaten all of life’s toughest challenges— until he needed hip replacement surgery. The Orthopedic Center of Excellence at St. Vincent’s HealthCare became his first round pick. His new team led him to victories in both surgery and rehabilitation. The doctors and nurses went above and beyond, providing the medical excellence to help Tony stage a comeback f or his active lifestyle. Tony was so pleased with his results, we could swear he was doing a touchdo wn dance.

St. Healing

Scott Moody

People don’t normally come to hospitals for the food, but one family will never forget the fine dining experience St. Vincent’s HealthCare provided to their loved one. After a period of long illness, the patient decided it was time to begin end-of-life care. Registered nurse Scott Moody offered comfort and support to the man through this difficult process. One evening the patient made a simple request for a shrimp cocktail. When Scott learned the hospital did not have any, he went above and beyond by driving to a downtown bistro after his shift to pick up the patient’s favorite meal. Scott may not be an actual saint, but to one grateful patient, he came pretty close.

St. Compassion

Patsy Roxas

For most people their pets are family. Critical care nurse Patsy Roxas understood this and moved mountains to make sure one critically ill patient got to say goodbye to his three dogs. Since the pets were not service dogs they were not allowed in the patient’s room. Determined to make a difference, Patsy worked to arrange a special outdoor reunion between the man and his best friends. Afterwards, his end-of-life care lasted longer than anyone expected. By giving her patient more time with his dogs, the rest of his family got a little more time with someone they loved. Patsy may not be an actual saint, but to one family and a few dogs, she came pretty close.

St. Dedication

Cindi Hunter

Ever heard of someone offering to give, “the coat off of his or her back?” At St. Vincent’s HealthCare, one of our social workers did just that. Due to a record number of cold days in the Jacksonville area, the normally well-stocked clothing closet was empty. When social worker Cindi Hunter saw a weak patient being discharged into the unusually freezing temperatures, she knew what she had to do. While Cindi may have given away her actual coat, the feeling she got back in return warmed her heart and the heart of that grateful patient. Cindi may not be an actual saint, but on one cold night, she came pretty close.

St. Devotion

Tanya Brown & Marlynn Townsend

Dealing with cancer is never easy, especially when you’re a single parent. No one understands this more than the cancer care advocates and nurse navigators at St. Vincent’s HealthCare. Tanya Brown and Marlynn Townsend had a patient who was too weak to clean her own home. They attempted to find a cleaning service to help but when those efforts came up short they took matters into their own hands—along with some mops and brooms. They cleaned the patient’s home top to bottom. When they saw how it lifted the woman’s spirits, they knew it was time well spent. Marlynn and Tanya may not be actual saints, but to one cancer patient they came pretty close.

St. Caring

Fran Phelan

Spending your birthday in a hospital is no fun… but don’t tell that to the nurses at St. Vincent’s HealthCare. Fran Phelan, a registered nurse, went above and beyond to make sure a cancer patient had the best birthday celebration possible. Since candles are not allowed, Fran got creative. She brought in a cake and along with fellow nurses sang happy birthday as the woman blew out the glow from a flashlight. Going above and beyond for patients isn’t part of Fran’s job. To her, it’s more like a calling. Fran Phelan may not be an actual saint, but to one cancer patient she came pretty close.

St. Devotion

Kathi Neace

When we hear sad stories from our patients, our mission is to bring hope back into their lives. That’s why Kathi Neace went above and beyond to help a diabetic patient who ended up in the emergency room one night with elevated blood sugar. It turns out his diabetic testing supplies were stolen and he couldn’t afford replacements. He was also very worried about his cat. After taking the time to hear this patient’s story that included the recent loss of both parents, Kathi bought the patient a new set of testing supplies along with plenty of food for his beloved pet. Kathi Neace may not be an actual saint, but to one patient and a hungry cat she came pretty close.

St. Caring

Alma Bajagilovic

Nobody ever expects to have a heart attack… especially while driving. Nurse Alma Bajagilovic went above and beyond for one long haul trucker that was brought to the hospital after having a heart attack in his truck. He was told he needed open heart surgery but was genuinely more concerned about the location of his truck than his own health. He simply could not rest until he knew where his truck was, so Alma and other nurses sprang into action. They worked with the Florida Highway patrol to locate the truck and one employee spent her day off collecting all the man’s belongings. She brought them to the hospital so he could rest easy and prepare for surgery. Alma may not be an actual saint, but to one trucker, she came pretty close.